International Spy Museum facts for kids
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| Established | July 19, 2002 |
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| Location | 700 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, D.C. United States |
| Type | History |
| Visitors | Approx. 600,000 annually |
| Public transit access |  Lua error: expandTemplate: template "inline:box color" does not exist. L'Enfant Plaza |
The International Spy Museum is a special place in Washington, D.C.. It's a history museum that teaches you all about espionage, which is another word for spying. You can learn about how spies work, their history, and what they do today.
This museum has the biggest collection of spy tools and artifacts from around the world. These items are on display for everyone to see. The museum first opened in 2002. It was in a neighborhood called Penn Quarter. In 2019, it moved to a new, bigger building at L'Enfant Plaza.
Contents
- History of the Spy Museum
- What You Can See: The Permanent Collection
- Briefing Center: Your Secret Mission Starts Here
- Stealing Secrets: Clever Spy Gadgets
- Making Sense of Secrets: Cracking Codes
- Covert Action: Secret Missions
- Spying That Shaped History: How Spies Changed the World
- An Uncertain World: Protecting Us at Home
- Debriefing Center: How Did You Do?
- Past Exhibits: More Spy Fun
- Cool Spy Items You Can See
- See also
History of the Spy Museum
The idea for the International Spy Museum started in 1996. A man named Milton Maltz thought of it. He was a code-breaker during the Korean War. He also started a company called Malrite Communications Group.
The first museum building cost about $40 million to build. It opened its doors to the public in 2002. This museum was part of a plan to make the Penn Quarter area better.
In 2015, plans for a new museum building were shared. This new building was designed by a famous group of architects. In 2019, the museum moved to its new home. This new building cost $162 million. It reopened on May 12, 2019.
The new museum building is much larger. It has a big theater with 145 seats. There's also a rooftop terrace. This is a great space for events. The museum is now a non-profit organization. This means it uses its money to support its mission, not to make a profit.
The museum offers many programs for visitors. These include talks, films, and workshops. They are for students, adults, and families. You can also book group tours. The museum does charge a fee to get in.
What You Can See: The Permanent Collection
The museum has over 7,000 spy artifacts. About 1,000 of these are on display. You can also see old photos and interactive screens. There are films and videos too. The collection shows the whole history of spying.
It covers spying from ancient times to today. You can learn about spies from the Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. There are stories from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. You'll also see how spying was used in the American Revolutionary War.
The exhibits cover both World Wars and the Cold War. They even show how spying works in our modern world.
Briefing Center: Your Secret Mission Starts Here
When you visit, you get an "Undercover Mission" badge. You also get a secret identity. This happens in the "Briefing Center." Here, you get to see some spy artifacts. You also watch a short film. It introduces you to the secret world of spying.
Stealing Secrets: Clever Spy Gadgets
In the "Stealing Secrets" area, you learn about spies. You'll see how they got information. This section shows many clever inventions. These tools were used to steal secrets. They were made by gadget makers and scientists.
Making Sense of Secrets: Cracking Codes
The "Making Sense of Secrets" area teaches you something important. It shows how secret information becomes useful intelligence. You can try interactive exhibits here. They teach you how codes are made. You also learn how they are broken.
Covert Action: Secret Missions
In the "Covert Action" area, you'll find out about secret missions. Leaders have used these for a long time. They secretly try to change things in other countries. You'll learn about missions that failed and ones that worked. These include things like sabotage.
Spying That Shaped History: How Spies Changed the World
The "Spying that Shaped History" area shows how intelligence changed history. You can explore stories from the American Revolution. It goes all the way to modern cyberwarfare. You can also hear what real intelligence officers think about movie spies.
An Uncertain World: Protecting Us at Home
The "An Uncertain World" area looks at how spy agencies keep us safe. They protect against threats at home. You learn what happens if they go too far. You can also explore spy stories from different times. These include stories from Renaissance Venice to Cold War Berlin.
Debriefing Center: How Did You Do?
After your mission, you go to the "Debriefing Center." Here, you find out how well you did. You get a summary of your top spy skills.
Past Exhibits: More Spy Fun
The museum used to have an exhibit called Operation Spy. In this, visitors became secret agents. They took part in a spy simulation. It felt like a Hollywood movie. You moved through different areas. You solved puzzles and tasks. There were sound effects and video messages. The goal was to stop a secret arms deal.
Another past exhibit was Spy in the City. Visitors got a GPS device. They had to find clues near landmarks outside the museum. This helped them get a password for a secret weapon.
Cool Spy Items You Can See
The museum has many amazing items. Here are some of the most famous:
- A special Enigma Machine. This machine was used by Germany in World War II. It helped German and Japanese soldiers send secret messages.
- Parts of Francis Gary Powers' U-2 plane. This was a spy plane shot down during the Cold War.
- A Bay of Pigs flag. This flag was meant to be a symbol of victory. It was for a group trying to invade Cuba in 1961.
- A small bottle of heavy water. This was made to remember Operation Gunnerside. This was a secret mission in World War II.
- A printing plate from Operation Bernhard. This was a Nazi Germany plan. They tried to print fake British money.
- A coat with a camera hidden in a buttonhole. This was made by the KGB. The KGB was the main security agency of the Soviet Union.
- A Steineck ABC Wristwatch Camera from around 1949. This watch let a spy take pictures. They could pretend to just be checking the time.
- A Lipstick Pistol. This tiny gun was used by KGB spies during the Cold War.
- A copy of a Pigeon Camera. This was used in World War I. Pigeons carried tiny cameras to take aerial photos.
- The Aston Martin DB5 car. This famous car was used in the movie Goldfinger. It's from the James Bond film series.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Internacional del Espionaje para niños
